The Masked Day
by FlamboyantlyBiBoy
Summary: After the battle at Rome, Leo hooked up with a woman who he didn't know was a goddess. About nine months later, he awoke to the crying of a new born. While fighting Gaea, he raised Isabella with the help of the others on the Argo II. After the war, he moved to a small town in New York, and opened a repair shop. They get together for holidays every year. Warning: cute children.


Title: The Masked Day

Fandom: Post Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus

PJatO Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan.

Warnings: Cute children, hinted teenage parenting, single parent

Main Pairing: Leo/Hecate, Percy/Annabeth, Jason/Piper, Hazel/Frank, Nico/Lacy

Side Pairings: None.

Percy Jackson Characters: Leo Valdez, Hecate, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Nico di Angelo, Lacy, Isabella Valdez (daughter of Leo and Hecate), Samantha and Charlie Jackson (twins of Percy and Annabeth), Boni Grace (son of Jason and Piper), Silena di Angelo (daughter of Nico and Lacy)

Summary: After the battle at Rome, Leo hooked up with a woman who he didn't know was a goddess. About nine months later, he awoke to the crying of a new born. While fighting Gaea, he raised Isabella with the help of the others on the Argo II. After the war, he moved to a small town in New York, and opened a repair shop. Shortly after, Jason and Piper moved in down the street. Percy and Annabeth got an apartment in New York City, while Hazel and Frank and Nico and Lacy moved into New Rome. They all gather for holidays.

It was the day of death, and all the old friends had gathered with cheer. The four cousins talked of battles long gone, while three of the women gossiped in the kitchen, and two of the men talked actively about whatever came to mind.

Down the hall, the child of beauty sat with the five children. Some frolicked gaily between the bedroom and bathroom, while one sat in her baby carrier. The two boys were playing like brothers; pushing, and shoving each other into a full out wrestling match. Together, the girls sat doing each other's hair.

"Charlie, Boni!" Piper called to the boys, "Stop that! You'll ruin your outfits."

Normally, that would do nothing to stop the violent boys, but today it caused the two to separate. Although they still glared at each other.

One had black hair, sharp gray eyes, loosely defined features, and went by Charlie. He wore black pants, a gray button down, a black vest, and a pendent on a red ribbon. It was a large plus sign with a red jewel in the center.

Piper had covered Boni's face, and hands in green makeup. He also had green makeup on his chest that was half revealed by the black button down that was open. His jeans were ripped at the knees so his lower legs were also green. They'd put soot in his usually blonde hair so it looked black.

Isabella worked with Sam's pigtails the way Piper had showed her. The older girl wore a pink skirt that went down to just above her knees, and a black silken shirt with sparkles around the collar. But there were rips in both that showed decomposing flesh that Piper had carefully put in place. They were in the process of poofing out her blonde hair, and adding streaks of dirt.

Isabella's outfit was the least out there of the group. She wore simple jeans, a button down with rolled up sleeves, rainbow suspenders, and work boots. Her brown curly hair was up in a high ponytail.

In the living room, the four cousins talked avidly about their battles since July Fourth. Nico relaxed against the wall with his badboy style. Percy and Jason glared at each other as usual, but weren't fighting anymore. They hadn't for years now. Hazel sat in the chair with a hand on her slightly bulging stomach.

"Leo's been getting hit pretty bad." Jason was saying, "With Isabella being a child of a goddess and demigod, they aren't getting a break anytime soon. We're right down the road, but there's only so much Piper and I can help with. Especially, with Boni to take care of."

"The rest of us are too far away." Hazel looked down bitterly, "I wish we could help more."

"Yeah," Percy agreed, "We're so spread out now that we're all grown up."

Nico glanced into the kitchen, and smiled at his girlfriend, "We all have our own problems to worry about. Relationships, kids, jobs."

Lacy smiled back, before turning to the cupcakes she was decorating. While Nico was still pitch black, Lacy wore a pink sixties styled housewife dress complete with an apron. It was out of style, but she liked it and Nico seemed to as well.

"How's Silena doing?" Annabeth was asking. The other girl had her blonde hair up in a pony tail, and wore a gray jean skirt with purple stockings and a yellow blouse.

"Barely sleeping." Lacy answered, "She just keeps crying, I'm hardly able to work. Nico's really good with her though. He takes care of her while I work. How are the twins?"

"Now that they're both in school it's easier. It looks like Charlie is starting to develop ADHD, and they're both struggling with reading. Hopefully, it won't be serious, and we know how to deal with both a lot better than most parents would."

Lacy nodded, putting on the last dashes of black sprinkles on the cupcakes before her. Around them was a buffet feast inspired by Devil's Night; black cat cookies, pumpkin pie, chicken shaped like ghosts, salad with finger like carrots in it.

The house had been decorated with black and orange garlands, there were paper rats taped to the base boards, and a blood red table cloth on the dining room table. Outside there were spider webs on the trees that had plastic ghosts hanging from them. The pathway up to the front door was lined with little candles that Leo had lit with the help of his daughter, Isabella. Nico had erected a skeleton to stand next to the door.

Over the years, Leo and Frank had become close friends. They sat together talking about whatever came to mind, Leo doing half the talking with his hands. That's how they were when Piper brought the children back from down the hall.

Sam and Charlie rushed to their parents smiling. Boni went over to Jason, instantly looking for approval. Piper carried Silena over to Nico who took the six month old in his arms. Isabella climbed onto Leo's lap, and hugged him tightly.

"Hola, mi hija" Leo whispered, hugging her back, "I get what the others are, but what about you, mi hija?"

Isabella smiled wicked, a smile that Leo recognized from her mother, "I'm you, daddy. But Auntie Piper couldn't find a belt."

"I think I can fix that." Leo smiled, picking her up, "We'll be right back!"

"Da-da!" Silena giggled, tangling her fingers in his shoulder-length black hair. Even though she was so young, it was obvious that she would be strikingly beautiful when she grew up. She'd gotten dark hair from her dad, and beautiful hazel eyes from Lacy. Also from Nico, she'd inherited the soft Italian complexion.

"You're so frightening, bambino." Nico smiled, holding her out to see. She had a black dress, and wore a black pointed hat with an orange ribbon around it.

Charlie smiled up at Percy showing the fangs that Piper had carefully set in, while Sam went in to help Annabeth and Lacy finish dinner. Leo came back with Isabella a few minutes later. She now wore a cloth tool belt around her waist that looked empty.

The group ate happily with chatter filling the air. Percy kept glancing at Annabeth, but nobody commented on his odd behavior. They were all far too happy to be back together after the months apart that nothing could dampen their moods.

Isabella sat next to Leo with the grownups as opposed to at the kids' table. She ate silently, but fidgeted in her seat. As soon as she was done with her food, she started pulling gears out of the tool belt just as Leo always used to when he got bored.

None of the adults paid much mind to her tinkering, until about ten minutes later she got up and went over to the kids table. She sat down next to Boni who was arm wrestling with Charlie. Both boys stopped what they were doing, and looked over at the overly shy girl. Hesitantly, she set her trinket on the table in front of Boni, and quickly ran back to hide her blushing face in her father's shirt.

Boni slowly picked up the little thing. It was a small box about the size of his thumb. Tentatively, he slid the top off, and watched the resulting assault of lights. They acted like mini fireworks without the explosions, and hung in the air making patterns of lightning and castles like King Arthur would have lived in.

Isabella peeked out with one eye as the lights finally faded. The boy turned, and smiled briefly at her before returning to his games with Charlie. She hid again, blushing even harder. Jason and Piper shared a knowing look, while Leo gazed down at his daughter in awe, "That was very impressive."

She looked up at him, and smiled widely, "Yeah?"

"Yeah!" He offered her a high five which she took before cuddling back into his chest.

"Of course that's all he sees." Piper murmured.

"No," Leo argued, "I was choosing to ignore the possible meaning. Not that _that _would be a bad thing…"

"Before we start pairing all our kids together, let's go Trick or Treating." Frank suggested, although it took them another half an hour to move on from the subject. In the end, they decided that Boni and Isabella could get together, but that the others should find other people to couple with.

The group set out with each of the kids in their costumes, and the adults chattering the way only adults who have been friends for ages could do. Lacy pushed Silena in her prim, but the girl quickly started fussing so Nico picked her up. Isabella walked with Sam, and the girls kept looking over at the boys while giggling. Charlie and Boni ran around jumping out at passersby with fangs bared, and arms outstretched. It didn't take long for the four older kids to get hyped up on candy.

It was nearing seven when the group of thirteen stopped for a bit in a park. They were all tired, and ready to head back to Piper and Jason's house. Leo had been carrying Isabella for the past half an hour, and Nico still held tight to the sleeping Silena. Hazel sat down on one of the benches, Frank settling down next to her and gently messaging one of her ankles.

Percy sat down on one of the other benches, and gently pulled Annabeth down with him, "So, what happened at the doctor's this morning? Is everything okay?"

She rested her head on his shoulder, "Everything's great. Better than great actually. There's just one problem that's easily fixed."

"What is it?" Percy asked his wife.

"We got rid of the cribs too early."

It took a minute for the meaning of what she said to sink in, but once it did he smiled, "Really? I think we can fix that."

Nico glanced over at the couple just in time to see Percy get down on his knees and kiss Annabeth's stomach. He turned to the group, and whispered, "I think there's going to be a new little Jackson soon."

As they made their way back to the safety of beds, Leo glanced down one of the alleyways they passed. There stood a woman in a classic witch's outfit, broom and everything. She smiled at him, but Leo felt the hatred coming over him.

He carefully set Isabella down, telling her that he'd be right behind in a minute. None of them protested as he walked into the alley alone. The woman stood up straight as he approached, "Leo, it's been a long time since we talked."

"Eight years." Leo agreed, "You didn't even talk to me when you left Isabella. Go back to Olympus, Hecate. You think I don't see you around, but I do. We don't need you. She certainly doesn't."

Without another word to the goddess he returned to the group, and picked up his daughter, "Mi mija, you're going to get split ends if you don't stop lighting your hair on fire."

He smiled without joy as he carefully removed the flames from the tip of her ponytail. Hecate watched the group as they retreated. Once she was sure they wouldn't hear, she whispered, "You're going to have a hard life, my daughter, both in the world of mortals and in the world of monsters."


End file.
